Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Online

Neil Patrick Harris Nathan Fillion Felicia Day

Original Title :: Dr. Horribleu0027s Sing-Along Blog
Genre :: TV Series / Comedy / Musical / Sci-Fi
Cast :: Neil Patrick Harris,Nathan Fillion,Felicia Day
Type :: TV Series
Time :: 42min
Rating :: 8.6/10

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Online

Dr. Horrible, an aspiring supervillain with his own video blog, is attempting to join the prestigious Evil League of Evil (led by the legendary "thoroughbred of sin", Bad Horse), but his plans are usually foiled by the egotistical superhero Captain Hammer. Horrible's life is thrown for a loop when he falls in love with Penny, a beautiful and optimistic advocate for the homeless he meets at the laundromat, a situation which complicates itself even further when Penny begins dating the boorish, oafish Hammer after he apparently saves her life. Faced with the task of impressing the League, can Horrible overcome his own incompetence to ruin the day, kill the hero, and still get the girl?

Series cast summary:
	Neil Patrick Harris	-	Billy (Dr. Horrible) 3 episodes, 2008

	Nathan Fillion	-	Captain Hammer 3 episodes, 2008

	Felicia Day	-	Penny 3 episodes, 2008

	Simon Helberg	-	Moist 3 episodes, 2008

	Nick Towne	-	Bad Horse Chorus #1 3 episodes, 2008

	Jed Whedon	-	Bad Horse Chorus #2 / - 3 episodes, 2008

	Rob Reinis	-	Bad Horse Chorus #3 / - 3 episodes, 2008

	Otto Michael Penzato	-	Driver / - 2 episodes, 2008

Dr. Horrible's Stun Ray, which he later turns into a Death Ray, is the stun gun carried by Alliance troopers in Firefly (2002), held upside-down.

Filmed in six days.

"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" garnered the first-ever Emmy win for Joss Whedon, despite both his long and critically acclaimed career as a writer, director, and producer of many television shows and the fact that it did not actually air on television.

In an interview, Nathan Fillion said that when Joss Whedon called to offer him the part of Captain Hammer, Fillion saw Whedon's name on his caller ID, immediately picked up the phone, and said "Yes!" Whatever Whedon was calling to talk to him about, his answer was going to be yes.

Neil Patrick Harris did all of his own stunts.

On the DVD, the ELE warning that flashes on the screen during the FBI warning reads "This video disc is designated for Evil purposes only, and any and all non-evil use will result in immediate self-hatred. Evil Rule of Evil #24B states that any and all infringements constitute an Extreme Offense with the maximum penalty of up to five nails driven into the offending skull and a $250,000 fire. DON'T BE A HERO!"

Dr. Horrible's evil lair is a real-life house that the television show Monster House (2003) renovated to look like a mad scientist's lab. The various bottles and tubes in the background are alcohol dispensers in a special bar. Dr. Horrible's over-sized chair was an actual part of the homeowner's living room.

The DVD commentary consists of a second musical score, in which the cast and crew sing their comments about the on-screen action.

Dr. Horrible's lab coat is the same coat that Simon Tam uses to disguise himself as a doctor in Firefly: Ariel (2002). Neil Patrick Harris unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Simon Tam.

Was the #1 TV Season on iTunes for 5 weeks in a row.

Time Magazine named this series the 4th best television series of 2008, despite the fact that it was created for, and only appeared on, the Internet. As of the issue's publication date (December 22, 2008), there weren't any plans to air the series on conventional television.

In the opening sequence, during which Dr. Horrible is talking directly to camera, many Joss Whedon fans mistakenly believed that the out of focus shape hanging in the window on the left was a model of the spaceship Serenity, a nod to Whedon's show, Firefly (2002). However, it was just a line of pots and pans hanging in the window.

The Universal back lot used for portions of the alley scene, and for Captain Hammer's dramatic entrance, was one of the sets destroyed in a fire at the studio in 2008.

In September 2009, a screening of "Dr. Horrible", followed by an interview of Joss Whedon by Ira Glass was held as a charity fundraiser for the nonprofit agency 826NYC, which provides free creative writing tutoring to children and teens. The choice of "Dr. Horrible" as a fundraiser for 826NYC is particularly apt; the storefront of the tutoring classrooms is a real business called The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, which sells such "superhero necessities" as capes, secret identity kits, "the world's first pair of continuous-use, non-invasive Invisibility Detection Goggles," and bottles and cans purporting to contain concepts including chaos, antimatter, and immortality. All store proceeds go to 826NYC.

The newscasters in Act III, Marti Noxon and David Fury, were writers on Joss Whedon's other show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and also appear in Buffy's musical episode.

Was adapted for the stage in Dexter, Michigan as part of Dexter Drama's Student Directed 3D series which ran from Thursday, March 16th, 2017 to Sunday, March 19th, 2017.

Sarah Michelle Gellar makes a secret cameo in the town hall scene (she's the woman wearing the sunglasses and wig next to the groupies). She was simply visiting the set that day and wound up getting involved in the scene spontaneously.

Australia seems to be the standard price for world domination. In Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Dr. Horrible expects that his plans to rule the world may upset the love of his life, Penny. But he thinks that by giving her Australia, her tears will dry and she will therefore be more cooperative. In Superman II, Lex Luthor offers to cooperate with General Zod's plans to rule the world and expects to be given Australia in exchange for his efforts.

User reviews

Biaemi

I read Joss Whedon and his brother's were bored during the Writer's Strike last season and came up with the idea for Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. All I can say is at least one phenomenal thing came out of that strike! This three part comedy/drama with music is the most entertaining thing I've seen all summer. Neil Patrick Harris is absolutely inspired as the not so horrible, Dr. Horrible. Nathan Fillion is as adorable as ever as Captain Hammer, but he gets to reach in and find some shallowness too. This is fifty minutes, when you put all three parts together, of silliness, twists and turns, all with a soundtrack. It's only free online until July 20th, then you have to buy it. But the season pass at iTunes is only $3.99 and it is well worth the money. I highly recommend this for anyone who loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer's musical episode, who loves Joss Whedon or Neil Patrick Harris.

Fenritaur

Exceptional dialog, music, humor, pathos...yes, one of those again! Whedon and crew are reshaping "television" into the 21st Century and hopefully will carry the "industry" along with them in their wake (I know...I'm mixing metaphors but what the hell!). I can't wait for the next episode (I pray one will follow)!

Each of the main actors brings with them a unique "graphic novel" ambiance to the three-part episode. Nathan Fillion delivers just the right balance of likability and swarminess. Neil Patrick Harris brings an exquisite mix of illusion and reality - enough that we can touch his human side (and connect with it), while still laughing along with his illusory attempts at superhero-ness. And Felecia Day provides a perfect target of the two male leads' affections. The songwriting is catchy and endearing and the songs delivered with clarity and feeling.

For the past three days I have found myself unintentionally singing lines from the show as I drive, shop for groceries, shower, walk the dogs, cook dinner . . . you name it! They are that catchy!

You won't regret downloading and sitting through the 40 minutes of exceptional film-making!

Lli

I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into when I first sat down at my computer to watch this. I had heard that Joss Whedon had created it, and I was a fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, but I didn't know what it was about or anything.

Forty Five minutes later, I was completely blown away. The songs, writing, and acting are just amazing. It made me laugh, and nearly cry. It's so creative, and has superheroes in it, which I love.

If you're someone who isn't sure about it, just watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog anyway. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Dr. Horrible has a P.h.D. in horribleness, and awesomeness.

Vizuru

If you simply enjoy being entertained, this enchantingly short trio of episodes sheer is perfection itself.

Congratulations to Joss Wheedon for giving his planet such a very sweet little gift.

i'm not much of a fan of musicals as a rule, but this one plays so cheekily on all things geeky it's hard to resist.

Too often these days, performances rarely reveal that the cast absolutely enjoyed their rolls so much. Knowing that these people all performed for free and for friendship makes this one all the more enjoyable to watch.

So many Directors with so much money & talent at their disposal really do miss the point, and the point is to put your heart into it.

So obviously made with love, and the help of friends, Dr Horrible will make you smile over & over!

Friert

If you are a Whedon fan, you'll enjoy this little gem. If you don't know who Joss Whedon is, you need to get out more.

This short, internet film was made on a very limited budget-namely, Joss Whedon's own money-using friends and family to help him complete it. It was written and largely produced during the WGA strike. Why? Well, a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do.

The vid is fun and funny, yes. It also has wonderfully appropriate, cleverly written songs. So, singing, jokes, and fun. Well, yes, and then again, Mr. Whedon can't leave anything as simply fun. It also contains tragedy combined with sufficient pathos and a touch of probing insight into the human condition. This qualifies "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog a bit more than a simple, goofball musical comedy exercise.

Of course, it works just fine on that level, too. Be sure you watch it more than once.

Mot

For 'Buffy' fans, "Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" is similar to the famous 'Once More With Feeling' musical episode, exploring familiar Whedon territory with some favourite Whedon stars: Nathon Fillion from 'Firefly', Felicia Day also from the last series of 'Buffy', plus Neil Patrick Harris and cameos galore: is the good guy good, is the hero the heroine with a day-job, and does the bad guy *want* to be horrible? Lots of fun, with some good music and clever, thoughtful lyrics and some surprising performances; you start believing! I lol'd at the groupies and the baddies, and stay around for the credits.

Available on I-tunes for purchase.

And yes, I know what a hammer is.

Detenta

... I say this though as a quasi-Whedon ignorant; I've only seen about two seasons worth of Buffy, no Angel, and all of Firefly and Serenity. Joss Whedon's sense of humor is playful, crude, warped, and everything one might love from a skewering of superheroes. Hancock, take note, this is how it's done with consistency! The premise of Dr. Horrible can be summed up in one sentence: Boy (Dr. Horrible) with nerdy powers finds and wants girl, boy loses girl to arch nemesis boy Captain Hammer, boy plots revenge, boy finds things end on a pretty bitter and sad note. Or, to put it another way, it's about the nerdy guy wanting the girl and the beefy upstart with an ego the size of a blimp is hogging her for himself.

That's the gist of it, anyway, but to say this is all Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is about is to do a total disservice to Whedon and his large fan-base. This is a musical not quite unlike the Buffy classic "Once More, with Feeling" only without that pesky 'you have to know a and b and c are going on in the series and season' logic. One is thrust into that sharp, laconic, and joyously obvious sense of humor that reveals Whedon as someone who is a kind of curious master of musical comedy with those appropriate doses of barbed satire.

At the same time, as one who may have watched their share of Buffy and even Firefly knows, Whedon is also a hopeless romantic (hopeless in that he can't seem to put people together without *something* going wrong, which is the point of all drama one supposes), and his tale of Dr. Horrible, done through songs that reveal the characters' souls, heartfelt and adorable and totally meat-headed (the Captain's final song at the podium with his award is next to Godliness), and at the same time a cheap joke (random cowboys singing along from the sides of the frame) or a catchy number (the "Man's gotta do" song is far more wondrous than about 99.9% of stuff on the radio now) isn't sacrificed for the sake of what little plot there is.

And lest not forget the acting, or at least the awesome musical prowess. Neal Patrick Harris and Nathan Filion are just about perfect in their roles, as is the woman who plays Penny (the red-headed girl Dr. Horrible meets at the Coin Mart), with Filion especially juicy in a somewhat campy turn where he takes all those heroic qualities of his Firefly character and reveals the dark side ("And yes, we had sex"). Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog is about as close to romantic-comedy-musical-satire amazement as one could hope for, or maybe not expect, from Whedon, particularly as a free web-series running just about the length of a full short film (or an extremely short feature).

Yainai

I am not a fan of musicals, nor a fan of Joss Whedon's earlier work. I never watch Firefly, Buffy, or anything. In fact, the only reason I watched this was Neil Patrick Harris' involvement. Thank God I did! It is truly a one of a kind, and there isn't anything I could suggest to watch otherwise. It really is just fantastic, in terms of originality, writing, acting, the whole shebang. I do hate one thing about this thought. I hate having stupid friends, so I cannot just let them watch it on their own. I must watch it, then explain it's awesomeness, then force them to watch it again. So, if your friends aren't as retarded as mine are, please share this gem.

Zeleence

A friend of mine who sat next to me in computer class quoted Dr. Horrible left and right for nearly a week after watching it. Lo and behold, he told me that I too must watch this web creation. My friend is an avid Joss Whedon fan. I had never heard of the guy until that moment. He liked musicals, I was pretty impartial to them. After being bugged for long enough, I finally decided to watch it, merely to calm him down.

I certainly judged this too soon. I was captivated right from the evil laugh "you know... coming along". It was very interesting the way Whedon made the protagonist the villain, and the antagonist the hero. The songs are very addicting and humorous, as well as portrayed with talent. I enjoyed the subtle humor. The ending was sad, but well thought out. I almost hope for a sequel, but I also worry that it might lessen the effect this movie had.

What's left to say? You were right and I was wrong, Tyler.

catterpillar

When I first heard that science-fiction mastermind Joss Whedon was putting together an internet-launched serial that involved singing, low-budget superheroes, and Neil Patrick Harris, I was immediately intrigued at the strange prospect. As preposterous as it sounds, this thing actually works and I wouldn't be shocked at all to hear that Whedon's little experiment yields a profit on DVD revenues.

"Dr. Horrible" is about a man with that very name played by NPH who considers himself a villain and is only waiting to receive his official acceptance into a league of villains, though to do that he must succeed at an evil plan or most specifically, kill someone, neither of which he has been able to do. He also has a thing for Penny (Felicia Day), the girl at the laundromat he can never seem to talk to. It's a strange situation for a guy who considers himself evil to be in, but that's part of "Dr. Horrible's" uniqueness. In classic fashion, it is over-cocky hero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion who worked with Whedon on "Firefly") who seems to always interfere with both of Dr. Horrible's objectives: being evil and Penny.

The music in this serial was probably the most surprising thing about it. The many Whedons that worked on this score really impressed me. I would consider owning a CD or downloading (legally of course) the songs. Though instrumentation was done entirely on electronic instruments, it's a good fit. While the songs and the plot don't always work seamlessly, there's a charm about the songs that makes them good anyway. They're modern songs in a sense, but they also are very structured like musical songs are.

NPH and Fillion are great talents in these roles. Fillion is hysterical in his first go around at a real comedic role (that I can recall). I've always been fond of him and he earns the most laughs I would say. NPH gets the quirkiness but the sincerity of a very strange character who is definitely difficult to believe, at least on pure premise.

This serial has a very interesting sense of humor too. It goes for a lot of subtlety jokes with people saying things that are absurd but that the other characters generally play dumb to. It's the right kind of humor for this kind of project though because the goal of the project is clearly to be unique.

I wouldn't say "Dr. Horrible" is genius and ground-breaking, but I would say it's really quite good for being something that clearly was intended to have a low-budget look and feel. I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen next each time a new segment was posted, which is a credit to the writing. While I wouldn't run and tell all my friends about "Dr. Horrible," I would definitely recommend it to the right people who have an appreciation for projects that play small ball and look to do something different. ~Steven C

Visit my site at http://moviemusereviews.blogspot.com/

Samulkree

This little musical by Joss Whedon is clever and well written yet could be easily financed by a college freshman. The music is catchy, the lyrics are entertaining and fuel the story, the characters are memorable and quirky and the ending will disappoint people who want a schmoopy lovey-dovey ending. Those of us who are fans of Firefly will watch because we love Whedon's writing and Nathan Fillion's acting. Fillion's "Captain Hammer" is the shallow superhero nemesis of Neil Patrick Harris's Dr. Horrible, the latest in a long line of villains who have somehow had time to get their doctorate. While the video only adds up to just under 45 minutes, there are several story lines within the story that are very entertaining. The singing is by no means operatic, but is always pleasant and enjoyable.

Neil Patrick Harris is great in this. Felicia Day is beautiful and Nathan Fillion is memorably ridiculous.

This is a fun little sweet from Joss Whedon's bag of candy.

Buzatus

My sister has been telling me to watch this and I didn't have much interest but I finally caved today and watch all three episodes. I loved this show a lot. It's one of the funniest things I've seen in a while and I am glad that I finally decided to sit down and enjoy it. It was truly hilarious and you gots to check it out!

I thought Neil Patrick Harris' performance in the Harold and Kumar films was epic, but his performance in this is either just as good or better. I loved the story and all the acting and singing, and of course, the internet and nerd jokes. It's definitely worth seeing. Give it a chance!

Gholbithris

In Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog," you will find a lovable antagonist (Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible) trying to make his way into the "company of Evil" as a villain that is unwilling to actually harm people, yet wants to be viewed as dangerous. His love interest, Penny (Felicia Day, head-writer of "The Guild"), is a benevolent free spirit that wishes to help the homeless people of America, while "Captain Hammer" (Nathan Fillion, the captain in "Firefly") manages to woo her as a "Corporate tool" superhero that supposedly saves lives.

This comedy web-series/musical/drama, which has been stated by Joss Whedon as being inspired by "The Guild," another popular web-show, is full of wonderful songs that can make you laugh or almost move you to tears despite the obvious satirical influences. The general concept: a villain (Dr. Horrible) tainted by human corruption, battles a superhero (Captain Hammer), inspired by douchebags across the nation that are seemingly "sweet" but really just want to get into girls' pants. Surprisingly, this series is reminiscent of Star Wars: Epidodes 1-3, in which Anikan becomes a villain in order to save the one he loves... (that analogy makes more sense after watching the series)...

Regardless, this is a fantastic web-sensation that proves the internet is becoming a more powerful outlet for entertainment. It shows that you do not need money or backing, but merely superb acting and imagination to create something spectacular and moving. I would hands-down give this series at least a 9/10 because it is hilarious, innovative, beautiful, and made by true writers/actors/directors who believe in their work in spite of monetary profit.

Vut

Any internet-installment that starts with Doogie Howser practicing his Evil Laugh is worth a watch for this fact alone, but Dr. Horrible goes on to be even more hilarious from there. Add to this a whole bunch of catchy songs (justifying the "sing-a-long" in the title), a sweet heroine, a Hero who is Evil, a nemesis who is Good, Nathan Fillion who is pee-your-pants funny and hey presto: Whedon magic. Although crafted as a "we're so bored during this writers strike"- in between, it would be a shame if this did not go on (and on, and on) for at least a few more episodes (by which I mean to say: seasons).

PLEASE MR. WHEDON?

Capella

I was told by my friend to check this out while we were waiting for a game to load. Needless the game was put on hold and i had to finish. The story is a super hero/super villain twist with the villain actually being the good guy of the story. The thing to really watch this for is the music, the plot is good, but not exceptional and the dialogue that isn't a joke or part of a song is a bit shallow. However, with a musical I guess you would make all the plot points into a song.

The only downside however is with the pace of story. Things go from bad to worse very quickly and I don't think the story was drawn out enough to make you truly connect with the events happening. It however was long enough to make you care.

It's a very good 50 minutes that aren't wasted. The more you watch it, the better it becomes. Again the only downside is the pace of the character development. However, the musical numbers are more then enough to keep attention.

GYBYXOH

This is a weird series that most people have never seen. However, for the internet savvy (meaning most everyone below the age of 25 and a few old geezers like myself), it's a very popular mini-series of three episodes. While producing a direct to the internet series can't be an expensive endeavor, Joss Whedon and the rest of the cast and crew have managed to make shows that look expensive and well-produced. All this despite only taking six hours to film the episodes! I am sure, however, it took a very long time to write the wonderful songs and create the great jokes and generate such love by its fans. Too bad they haven't brought this wonderful idea to television so that a wider audience could enjoy it.

Neil Patrick Harris stars as Dr. Horrible--strange casting, to say the least. Yet despite him being a would-be super-villain, there is something very vulnerable and likable about the guy--you want to see his wicked plans prevail. As for his nemesis, Captain Hammer (wonderfully played by Nathan Fillion), he's the hero...but also an idiot and a jerk to boot. Because of these unusual characters that break the usual molds of heroes and villains, it's an exciting show.

So far, there have only been three episodes (as well as soundtracks and over-priced t-shirts) but word is out on IMDb that more are in the near future. Let's just hope...

Brilliantly written--this is far better than 98% of the crap you can see now on television.

Flas

I absolutely love Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog! The songs are catchy, and the actors are fantastic! I love Neil Patrick Harris and everything he brings to his multi dimensional character! Nathan Fillion is absolutely hilarious, and Felicia Day plays the perfect Penny! Not only is this show funny and delightful, it has a deeper meaning that hits home at the end. Even if you're not sure what it is, the show's message is able to come across and hit you right in the face. Many of my friends won't give this a chance because of the title and how "weird" it may sound, but please do not write this show off before giving it a chance. I thoroughly enjoy watching Dr. Horrible and have seen it multiple times without growing tired of it. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog!

superstar

This little project packs quite a punch. Really beautiful songs sung by three very talented performers. Neil Patrick Harris is really wonderful in the lead role - showing the angst, insecurity and loneliness of a evil villain who "wants to rule the world" - and has a crush on a lovely girl in the laundromat he frequents. Has fun with the super hero genre but some real catchy pretty songs - pop, ballads and love duets - and it all holds together. Clever, funny and dark work from Whedon and his brother and his usual gang of cohorts. Fillion has a field day as the clueless hero who is in love with his own reflection. And Felicia Day's heartbreakingly beautiful song in the laundry is so poignant and powerful.

elektron

Honestly, I had no idea what this was going in. I knew there was singing, but I didn't know much else. I was incredibly surprised and delighted by what I found in this!

Neil Patrick Harris. According to director Joss Whedon, "If Neil said no then I don't think we would've made this." I see why. He's the perfect choice! Watch his facial expressions closely, especially in Act 1. Not many actors anymore realize how key their performance still is even when they aren't talking. Neil reacts to what others are saying; he keeps himself from becoming someone just standing there (Hard to explain, makes more sense if you just see for yourself) and puts himself in the environment. From his first evil laugh to his final line I found myself cheering for Dr. Horrible. Kudos to NPH, he fought past so many people making tacky comments on how he's reprising Doogie Howser and became the heroic villain.

Nathan Fillion was... interesting. He's cheesy, but he's supposed to be cheesy. He made himself into a hero you'd really like to punch in the throat! I love the way this movie reversed roles- I viewed Captain Hammer as a villain. The hair flips, the exaggerated singing, the way he delivers his lines... Captain Hammer is the worst hero Los Angeles has ever had!

Felicia Day was such an awesome choice for Penny. She reminds me a lot of a deer; she comes off as naive and innocent. Penny is such an honest character. When you look deep down, Penny and Dr. Horrible are both trying to do good, but Penny has chosen a more conventional way of doing good. Felicia Day's vocals in 'Penny's Song' were all too perfect.

Combine these 3 elements and you see this movie is one in a million. From the beginning of Act 2 onwards, Dr. Horrible sings mostly depressing songs, Penny sings of hope and Captain Hammer sings of himself. I kept humming 'My Eyes' a week after I finished watching this for the first time. There is not one part of this movie that is not utterly perfect. This is definitely one of those movies you have to see before you die!

Gribandis

When I checked out the DVD at the library, I wasn't close to sure that I would like it. When I watched it, I was surprised at how much I liked it. I like the music and all of the characters except for Captain Hammer because he was very annoying. The special features are great also. I would have liked this to be longer, but I'm not against films that are short. My favorite scene was when Dr. Horrible was walking up the aisle where Captain Hammer was giving a speech and sang about what he would do with power. My least favorite scene is when Penny dies. I would have liked it if Dr. Horrible killed Captain Hammer. This is my second favorite independent film after Expiration Date.

Frlas

Something that I have always felt,that has made all of Whedons classic TV shows stand out,is how they all break out of any of the so-called rules of the genre,by having "The dumb blonde" be smart & sassy (Buffy),a vampire who takes on a bunch of lawyers (Angel),a John Ford western set in space (firefly),and giving a personality to a very empty character (Dollhouse).When I was hearing about this short film,I went looking round like crazy to find it in a DVD shop near me.Sadly,I discovered that the DVD has not come out in the UK,which made me decide that I would try to import the disc in a few weeks.Luckaly for me,a friend of my dads surprisingly passed me the DVD,to keep!Whilst it does not reach the (almost) unreachable heights of Whedons stunning shows,I found it to be a fun short film.

The Plot:

Dr Horrible is a wannabe super-villain,who is desperate to become a member of the Evil League of Evil.To become a member,he makes a decision that he should build a death Rey to kill the local,macho egotistical super-hero Captain Hammer.Shockingly for Horrible,as he is gathering all the parts to the Rey gun,the girl from the laundrette (who he has had a big crush on for along time)seems to be getting very keen on hum...

View on the film:

Due to this film having inevitable problem of being compared to the incredible Once More with Feeling episode of Buffy.I feel that Whedon (who also co-wrote the film with his three brothers and Maurissa Tancharoen)dose a great attempt at equalling that episode,with an interesting use of electronic music mixed into the piano-led songs.Joss has also,very pleasingly,put his great funny dialogue into the script (the part where it is revealed why the super-hero is called Captain Hammer is very hard to forget!)The only parts that I think could have been a bit improved upon,would have been to give the laundrette girl a few more scenes,and for the ending to have been slightly longer,and not so rushed.

Final view on the film:

An entraining short film,with likable songs and a very good enjoyable script with some great Whedon dialogue.

Bundis

Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) has two goals: get inducted into the Evil League of Evil, and win the heart of his laundromat crush, Penny (Felicia Day). This already daunting task becomes even more improbable when we factor in Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion), who not only hopes to crush Horrible but steals his girl out from underneath him. All this, and music!

Of all the good that came from the Writers Guild Strike, and that may be debatable, the best outcome was this three-part adventure. We already knew about Joss Whedon's excellence in song-writing from the Buffy episode "Once More With Feeling" -- this might be even better. Certainly, it has the advantage of being self-contained. You need not know the characters ahead of time to appreciate their songs.

Nathan Fillion and Joss Whedon go back a while (allegedly he agreed to this project before even knowing what it was), as does Whedon and Felicia Day. The NPH, to my knowledge, is a new addition. I don't think they could have found anyone better -- charismatic, self-deprecating, and a decent singer. His best role since "Harold and Kumar", or perhaps ever.

Anyone who hasn't seen this should -- rent it ,buy it, do what you have to do. I can't think of a good reason not to, and so far I have yet to come across anyone who didn't love it. This is the next big thing, and I look forward to any sequels Whedon plans on making for either television or the big screen.

Alsantrius

...Ok so my title for this review sucks.

But Dr Horrible doesn't and doesn't even come close to sucking or blowing, it rules with and iron hoof. From humble beginnings as a script written during the writers strike (Or just afterwards, Joss ain't no scab) by the writer with arguably the biggest fan base of all the writers in Hollywood to a full fledged 40 and a bit minute musical with that Firefly guy, Barney and... oh god that potential girl, god I know this, no coaching please.

From the moment the opening tune starts we know we're in on what has to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year, way way bigger than the I know Who Killed Me singalong. All around the world on the 15th of July the nerds united as we brought down the servers watching this brilliant piece of television on our computer screens because this is and internet thing and not a TV thing.

The writing is so snappy and witty that if you're not quoting it for days afterward then the speakers on your computers must be malfunctioning, I suggest getting them looked at. The songs are toe tappingly good, at least the happy energetic ones are, I don't know anyone who was tapping their toes during 'Slipping' but then again you and I might know different people.

Broken up into three act's with some of the most incredible cliffhangers ever (What does "Ball's" mean?) and every single act looks better than the last if arranged in alphanumerical order. There's subtle sight gags, cameos that were obviously put there for us Buffy nerds (Suck it you non-Buffy nerds you) and of course genius acting and emotional writing... or something similar.

Easily the best thing to come on the internet since porn, winner of the peoples choice award and 5 time winner of Witch weekly's most charming smile award this is far and away the BEST MUSICAL EVER (And if IMDb didn't have this strange 10 lines or more rule when it came to reviews that part in capitals would have been the entire review instead of my poor attempt at wittiness)

Eseve

The writers strike of 2008 saw many great shows like Scrubs and 30 rock have shorter seasons and lower quality to the point that the year saw many of the worst seasons of some of the best shows. However, all this was worth it as the strike allowed Joss Whedon to have the time needed to make this 45 minute masterpiece, Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog.

Obviously everyone knows Joss Whedons name. If you don't, then where have you been for the past 20 years? If he's not creating some of the most memorable TV characters like Captain Reynolds or Buffy, he's masterminding the entire Marvel Universe and directing blockbusters like The Avengers. But within this great body of work Dr Horrible is one of his most overlooked masterpieces with it's great soundtrack and story putting it not only amongst my favourite web series but also my favourite musicals. It's also a great piece showing Whedon's love of filmmaking as it is a labour of love done not for profit or critical acclaim, but rather for the sheer joy of filmmaking. It doesn't need a big 200 million dollar budget. It's just a great idea that has a lot of effort put in to it, making it all the more memorable.

Part of the reason that Horrible is such a hit for those of us who watch it, is because of its brilliant range of songs. Whilst most musicals will probably have about 3-4 great memorable songs, every song in Dr Horrible is a pleasure to listen to. Each song has a great mixture of memorable lyrics and distinct styles that not only work effectively within the story by demonstrating the characters emotions but also are great to sing along to.

But whilst they are all memorable, the stand out song in Dr Horrible is definitely it's finale "Everything You Ever". If you've already seen it you'll know why I picked this as my favourite. It's a song that really shows how great Joss Whedon is as a writer as it shows both how complex his characters are and demonstrates how he can switch between comedy and drama so easily within his stories. At the same time the song is great to just listen to due to it's distinct sound helping it to stand out on an already great soundtrack.

But with any great song there must also be a great singer. And I would say that Neil Patrick Harris was probably the best choice for the role. Not only does he have the much needed vocal range to do all the songs justice, but also he has the needed likability. It's just impossible to hate Harris and because of this he makes the premise work by being a likable villain who we do feel sympathy for and even support once we see how much of a fool Captain Hammer is. Better yet, just like Whedon and the rest of the cast, Harris seems to love making every minute of this movie, making the characters both more believable and more likable.

This is definitely a must see by any who have yet to watch it. You can enjoy watching it alone by keeping up with its emotional story and memorable characters or with others by singing along to those great songs and having a shoulder to cry on when things get emotional. It's funny, tragic and has just about everything you could possibly want from a musical.

Fordrelis

First off, I am a big Joss Whedon fan, but not a check-the-blogs and go-to-the-conventions kind of fan.

The music and singing in this is superior to the fun (but kind of terrible) singing episode of Buffy, so that's good.

Joss Whedon usually has a smartest-kid-in-high-school kind of vibe, so you have to be up for that when you watch this.

I also think it makes for a much better experience if you know nothing about all the hype before you see it. When I saw it, it was some little web-thing that Whedon fans were excited about, but no one else knew about. I saw it on my computer - not on a DVD.

SPOILERS: But the reason I'm writing, and the reason I give it a 10, is because of the ending. For all Whedon's silliness, he has a few serious themes that come up again and again. One is that you can not be happy, nor truly love, if you are not right with God. You don't reform because of loving another person. You aren't forgiven if your plans get derailed and are unable to complete your evil plan. You must make a decision to be a moral person. Without your soul, your love is selfish, destructive and possessive.

Categories

Related Videos

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Online

User reviews